Research progress of effective components of traditional Chinese medicine in anti-aging and anti-tumor mechanism / 药学学报

Increasing research have found a high correlation between senescence and tumor. Cellular senescence can inhibit tumorigenesis while the cellular microenvironment altered by senescent cells can promote the proliferation and metastasis of tumor cells. Some cellular signaling pathways are commonly involved in aging process and carcinogenesis. The deregulation and imbalance of these pathways results into senescence and tumor development. Thus, agents that balance these pathways may effective for anti-aging and anti-tumor. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used for the activation of multiple signaling pathways and molecular targets both associated with aging and tumor, with few side effects. Therefore, the article reviewed the cellular signalings that cross between the aging and tumors, and on this basis, summarized the current effective components of TCM with anti-aging and anti-cancer properties, as well as the potential mechanisms of these components in the cross signalings, to provide new research strategies and perspectives for effective components of TCM to treat aging and tumors.

Baicalein prolongs the lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster through antioxidation activity / 药学学报

In order to explore the anti-aging effect of baicalein, female Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism was used to study the effects of baicalein on natural aging model and aging models induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and paraquat. The bioinformatics approach was used to predict the possible target for the anti-aging activity of baicalein, and the target pathways were identified. The oxidative stress pathway was a focus in experiment. Baicalein at concentrations of 0.04 mg·mL-1 and 0.2 mg·mL-1 extended the mean and maximum lifespans in the natural aging model, and effectively reduced the damages of oxidative stress by H2O2 and paraquat. 31 senescence-related targets together with the oxidative stress pathway were modulated by baicalein. The experiments revealed that baicalein might delay aging process through attenuation of the oxidative stress response by decreasing the reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in Drosophila melanogaster.

AGE- AND BENDER RELATED DIFFERENCES IN KNEE EXTENSION TORQUE AND LAG EXTENSION POWER / 体力科学

This study was aimed to investigate the influences of age and gender on isometric muscle torque and explosive muscle power output with reference to muscle volume. A total of 177 healthy subjects of both genders were divided into four groups according to their age and gender : 46 young men (22.0±3.2yrs), 43 young women (22.7±3.3yrs), 46 elderly men (71.2±4.3yrs) and 42 elderly women (72.7±4.5 yrs) . The maximal voluntary isometric knee extension torque of the right leg (hip and knee angle at 90 degrees) and the power of bilateral leg extension in sitting position were mea sured. The ratios of both torque and power to muscle volume, estimated using ultrasonograph measurement, was calculated (torque/MV and power/MV respectively) . Torque was significantly less among the elderly than among the young for both genders, and among women than among the men for both age groups. Significant age-related differences were evident even in terms of torque/ MV, but the corresponding differences between men and women disappeared. On the other hand, power MV showed significant age- and gender-related differences, and the age-related difference was larger than that for torque MV. These results suggest that age- and gender-related differences in power are more noticeable than differences in torque and that these differences are not simply explained by differences in muscle volume.

SITE AND GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE AGE-RELATED CHANGES OF MUSCLE THICKNESS IN LOWER LIMBS / 体力科学

This study aimed to investigate the influence of aging on muscle thickness in lower limbs, with specific emphasis on the site- and gender-related differences. Subjects were a total of 191 healthy young and elderly persons of both genders : 51 young men (24.2±3.6 yrs), 45 young women (23.1±3.2yrs), 51 elderly males, and 44 elderly females. Lower leg anterior, and lower leg posterior muscle thickness was determined using a brightness mode ultrasonographic apparatus. At all sites except for the thigh posterior, the muscle thickness values were significantly greater in the young than in the elderly groups of both genders, even in terms of the ratio of muscle thickness to body mass<SUP>1/3</SUP> (Mt/Wt<SUP>1/3</SUP> ratio), calculated to normalize the morphological differences. The relative difference in muscle thickness between the two age groups was the greatest at the thigh anterior and the least at the thigh posterior in both genders. Between young men and women, the men showed significantly greater muscle thickness and Mt/Wt<SUP>1/3</SUP> ratio at every site than the women. Between the elderly groups, however, Mt/Wt<SUP>1/3</SUP> ratios at all sites, except for the thigh anterior, did not show significant gender-related differences. Relative differences in both muscle thickness and Mt/Wt<SUP>1/3</SUP> ratio between the young men and women were similar among the sites, but between the elderly groups the corresponding values at the thigh anterior were greater than at the other sites. These results indicate that 1) the influence of aging on muscle thickness differs between the muscle groups located in the anterior and posterior sited within the same segment, 2) for women, the age-related loss of muscle thickness at the thigh anterior is relatively greater as compared to those at the other sites of the lower limb.

Nevus Sebaceous with Special Reference on Its Aging Effect

A histopathological study was performed on nevus sebaceus to observe its aging effect based on 75 cases of neuvs sebaceus those were collected during the past 10 years from three university hospitals in Seoul. The results are as follows: 1) Clinical findings The incidence was most frequent in the teenage group. The 75 cases consisted of 41 males and 34 females with a sex ratio of 1.2:1. Most of cases developed in the head and neck areas with 62.7% on the scalp and 29.3% on the face. 2) Histopathologic findings. The epidermal changes such as acanthosis(40%), papillomatosis(73%), hypergranulosis(44%) were most remarkable in the second decade and gradually decreased with aging. The apparent proliferation of sebaceous gland was observed in 73% and it was most prominent in the second decade. Apocrine glands were absent before the first decade but apparently increased after then. Proliferation of eccrine gland was not significant in all the age groups. Mild increase of immature hair follicles were noted in 49% of our cases with gradually decreasing tendency in the older age. The dermal inflammatory infiltrates were noted from the 2nd decade(28%) and thereafter gradually increased. Associated neoplasms were one apocrine adenoma, one sebaceous adenoma, two trichilemmomas and two arteriovenous hemangiomas. The majority of tumors occured in the third decade. Therefore, it is observed that neuvs sebaceous undergoes dynamic histopathologic changes according to the age of patient and later develop various secondary neoplastic changes. The pathogenesis of the nevus sebaceus is suggested to be closely related with developmental anomalies of primitive hair germ units in fetal stage.